My first thought on waking, was that I was happy. Not so much because I was living the life of a king (although I wasn't complaining about that), but because I had a reason for living: a mission. It was such a different feeling, having a purpose in life, to waiting around for the COVID restrictions to end. While Greyland was starting in a very difficult situation, I believed I could turn it around.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXc2B886bru
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawPyOO4Gce
For a start, I had to ramp up iron production and correct my earlier mistake. As my first action, I assigned the realm's three iron ingots to the Smithy for more steel pickaxes.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSW30hUTIQ
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwC0fJGoOO
Crucial to my success in this world would be my personal character progression. With some anxiety I called up my character sheet to see if I'd managed to improve it by my efforts of the previous day.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbDj5FfVjl
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLay2Dj2gM
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJa97LMR9FX
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUU3gDMdIZc
Str 7877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv9PlWtcCx
Dex 4877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgutfnxEoB
Con 8877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqYuJd0E5s
Int 16877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECb53pGroF
Wis 16877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBnc2xdcsq
Cha 4877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMumSU0ZCP
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqZuJ0Z4M5
Please choose a character archetype:877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcjWKYwf0p
Fighter; Wizard; Healer; Scout877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJCKpdSbjh
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIXJsto9Hy
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCosBj8IIew
Of course, neither my Strength of Constitution had shifted. I sighed to myself. How many more days of exercise would it take to test whether those stats would rise? Should I give it a week and then give in and choose a Wizard or Healer path? The people who had summoned me here wanted a battlefield leader and my own desire led me to want to be a martial class of some sort. But it would be idiotic to aim for that if I was stuck with these stats.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9z7PzJxpk
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfWRuX2AzQ
Then I noticed the final attribute, Charisma. It had gone from 3 to 4. Yes! Yes! And again Yes!877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHEPYlrzG7
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyAdv9Dfv0
Stats could be worked on. A glow of pleasure rushed through me. Okay, so it wasn't a Fighter stat that had moved, but really, after one day, even if I had focused on Strength, I could hardly have expected to see progress. I had a hunch that the reason I'd seen Charisma move was that it was a lot easier to raise a 3 to a 4 than a 7 to an 8.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzGKjGvGGt
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9F4EhAyxZ
Following that last thought, I had to admit to myself that it might take months to move Strength to something useful in battle, but even so I decided to take the risk and commit to Fighter. It was time to get going. I missed being the most bad-ass warrior in Storm Wars and couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to be on top of the game be like in a world where it really mattered? Still, it was pointless, counterproductive even, to daydream. There was a mountain to climb. And I hadn't even taken one step yet towards the summit.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVsbBDtsFV
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHCU50QVMQ
I selected Fighter and got a message:877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbcLxlZ6RB
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9VgTQQLJQ
Welcome Sean de Courcy, to the path of the Fighter. You have chosen to stand toe to toe with your foes, dealing blows to them and evading their own attempts to harm you. It is a path for the brave and for the resolute. If you are fortunate and progress, in due course you will unlock specialisations within the Fighter class.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQdGEipiMe
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2clMQgs60
You will also unlock new skills by discovering them through action. For now, you have 10 skill points to assign among the following:877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqmkJw2hW0
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTORzJXvBQ
Bash: action, shield users only, additional attack with shield877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRgxRkHTHf
Block: passive, shield users only, wards melee attacks if successful877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oFKk3jGIn
Deflect: passive, shield users only, wards missile attacks if successful877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzzJKOHE0M
Defensive Stance: passive, reduces damage of hits received if successful877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCa2315NSQN
Dodge: passive, avoid an opponent's attack877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZM0I30Lr3S
Grapple: action, unarmed attack that restricts opponent if successful877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrY77qjXyz
Lunge: action, pointed weapons only, additional attack at up to +1m range877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AHF2c4OpZ
Parry: passive, intercept your opponent's attack with your main hand weapon877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcxROMNj2P
Quick draw: action, produce hidden or sheathed weapon877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxHLuQGYFx
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQchZ43Gaa
Quite a lot to think about there. And I had to make my choice right away, as the screen couldn't be flicked away in the usual fashion. Generally, I preferred a min-max approach to RPG gaming. It was usually better to be really good at one skill and adapt your strategy to that skill than to have no particular specialism and be somewhat competent at everything. Ideally, I would have had a taste of fighting before make my choice, so as to get a feel for what would be the best skill to invest in. Here, though, there was going to be a lot of guesswork.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7S01P5Mtxr
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0k6cPkCMw
On the assumption I'd have the support of the high level people who had summoned me, I decided I should focus on attack rather than defence. Back in Storm Wars defence was crucial but here, at the low levels at least, I felt it best to try to rack up experience fast through killing mobs. Lunge appealed most, surely an extra attack and a bit more range on an attack was going to prove useful? When I tried to put my ten points into the skill, however, I got a message.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBY3hvAeTi
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1ylbxPjn2
Skills are capped at Level x 5877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERS4Wj1DIw
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmhKRq1JXi
Adding 5 points to Lunge worked. So for my other choice? Was I going to use a shield? Probably but not necessarily. I didn't know what weapons were going to be available to me here. Parry then. While Quick draw had its appeal, it was very situational. Whereas pretty much every fight I was in would involve the opportunity to parry.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nsl0XaYb6
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42cJOLTDoo
My character sheet now had my class and skills, also, an EXP bar, showing that I needed 100 to get to Level 2 and HP. I had hit points! Not many though. And an armour class that at 0 probably reflected the fact that I had no armour on at all. Even if I did, that poor Dexterity score probably carried a penalty.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbhUzsqYCJ
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJX2viPYcaR
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gfYIZpiwf
Sean de Courcy, king of Greyland877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4MOX0Ww8Y
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLgMTsNzux
Fighter, Level 1 HP 8 AC 0877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwK5xTtlrOf
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhbCvYM2F7
Str 7877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpv5U2A4cB
Dex 4877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3CFgrkINy
Con 8877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR52bEToXcC
Int 16877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdslThkjLY
Wis 16877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVS6hmZbtv
Cha 4877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIr2D8vvkkU
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOK2XUBuXq
Lunge 5877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTdxPVYR3w
Parry 5877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLek2Bdaxrx
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuF1nBL68Y
Exp 5/100877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEmGxTV4RR
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xJlslTKRy
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5YpxJUBlx
With the help of the PCs in Greyland, I should be able to level up fast.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsWkTlOSa0
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsev3OmIkUC
If it wasn't for my heavy body, I'd have leapt out of bed with a spring in my step and an eager desire to get going. As it was, I had to lever myself up and then struggle with every single garment before managing to get dressed. It didn't help that I ached all over from yesterday's marching around the barracks square. At last, I was presentable and down I went to breakfast.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGv9elIhW1V
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0kW7YIUJf
Today, the castle servants were ready for me and along with a glass of apple juice was a bowl with more apples and a plate with two poached eggs. I felt desperately hungry and was tempted, when a new servant tentatively approached, to ask for more. But I had to get down to a size where armour could fit me and a horse could carry me. So I had to diet. End of. Back home, I had sometimes tried to cut out unhealthy snacks, and managed for a while, before invariably returning to them and sometimes bingeing while hooked up to Storm Wars. Here, I felt differently. Here, getting the king's body into shape was just as important as levelling up and sorting out Greyland's food supply. There was no 'Will I? Won't I?' discussion to be had with myself. It had to be done.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHlihznPYg
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpJR27yJnV
After breakfast, I left the keep and walked slowly in the direction of the barracks. The citizens of the town hurried away from me or redoubled their efforts if they were working. For the first time, I noticed that stored away in the shadowy corner of a large cobbled square was a gibbet and a chopping block. Had my predecessor really executed people by hanging and beheadings? It was not a question I could ask anyone except one of the three who had been there at the summoning.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9G5LN9gEMZ
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSy2YwthQd
The soldiers were already drilling when I got to the barracks and I was pleased to see archers firing at straw scarecrows. Thirteen, fourteen… yet fifteen. Those were my new recruits. It might have been a dumb move using up all my iron before the steel pickaxes were completed but I was glad to see the archers all the same.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIVYQKuAFO
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmthNfpBBsC
Carradock was there, marching some foot soldiers back and forth. He passed the duty to one of the men and came over at a brisk walk on seeing me.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCRtyRwSjE
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkYZxgLTOD
'How are you today sire? Able to continue?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiEFwtyggO
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76GwAmjAQB
'Stiff, but yes.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MUZXUxRaA
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiA9nMrtE5c
'I suggest another march then. Sixty circuits.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSYmuophiW
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvAbJTJ2yb
'Right so. Before I set off, I've a question you might know the answer to.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9mtoRSln9
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWfA1WecWs
He looked at me expectantly.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA85DklMIA7
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzI5DX4WLQk
'I just learned the Lunge skill. Do you know how I utilise it?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8dtTsYA6z
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDISLpRCTk
Surprise, then caution crossed the trainer's face. 'Not I sire. Skills like what you're talking about are special. You need to talk to someone like Lord Arval.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwr7g1qawO
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7S2GylslGz
'Good idea. Send someone to fetch him will you.' As was my nature, I almost added 'please', but no doubt that would be taking my change in character too far.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEHGT8cdKH
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEyMsVlQMK
On lap six, Lord Arval fell in step. 'Sire?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjz1PzN1SHL
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUeMWvtzQZ
'Two questions.' I already felt the need to be economical with my breath. 'Active skills like Lunge, how do I use them? And what's the quickest way for me to level up? Got some giant bats I can kill?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmok0PYs84n
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuXCqcaAl4
'Skills? You'll see them as selectable icons when the right conditions are met. I mean when timers are ready; or the right weapon is in hand; or you've moved yourself into the right position. Skills are very experiential. You get to discover them and advance them mostly by practice.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4Soejfs8m
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48hTMymfdD
I nodded, hands swinging like pendulum weights as I strode determinedly around the square.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQunqqGZI3
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFOBcqfbbw
Lord Arval kept pace effortlessly. 'For levelling up, I think quests. Without access to the menus I can't be exact, but I felt that just by performing chores for the townspeople I became significantly stronger. Perhaps reaching level three or four.' He gave me a sharp look. 'It helps with your reputation with them too.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahC6DCfLYI
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJehFOmSkKO
'Good. I'll be done here by midday, come with me this afternoon and show me these quests.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpQuDhioW2
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC4Y2ph6n3
First checking no one was close enough to overhear us, Lord Arval leaned closer and dropped his voice. 'I'd never disagree with a command of yours, but I was intending to take the new archers down to Three-Ways Fort and check on our defences. I could ask Carlena to show you the easiest town quests?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxffaDtBF5Z
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8fBopThhZ
I caught his – grey – eyes and gave the slightest of nods.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdIHnJ6fcj
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJOnmRCdMO
'Very good sire,' Lord Arval spoke loudly and deferentially. 'As you ask, so it will be.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCp1g5El6u8
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iUMfNEbgO
The laps today were a little easier and even a soft rain didn't deter me. Walking was good for studying the menus too and I drilled down into the kingdom's various options, reading up on descriptions of buildings and balancing their various benefits against the immediate need to solve our food problem and be able to resist an attack if Southway and Trolland continued their alliance.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtdoZa02xC
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKurRaDj6JD
After I finally completed my sixty laps, I took a salute from Carradock and went back to the keep for a bath and change of clothes. Then I sat in the very large throne in the large hall on the second floor, the solar they called it. Outside, beyond the lead crosses that contained the window glass, the day was still grey. I could have rested there, alone, for some time, but Carlena arrived and waving away the servants who had brought her to me, came over.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyowYVMIDnb
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrw8jLmlQcV
'You wanted me to help with quests?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPSBjSrkzv
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzbvcLHOjo
'Yes please. I've started as a Fighter but, honestly, I'm not in the shape to hit things yet. So quests are perfect. And Lord Arval said they would level me fast.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWqnoh6HX5
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXWNxTLz70
'Yes, they will. At least, they got me to my third spell. After that, you'll need to battle monsters. Also, your combat skills won't increase unless you do.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRrfie5hjs
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrO9TL83pYh
'Right so, let's go and do some quests.' It was painful, moving again after being seated for a while. But pain meant gain, right? And I had the incentive of levelling up to encourage me.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GoSbLhUsz
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2X2Q02Wrq
'It's been a while since I did these…' She looked thoughtful, long, silver hair tied back so I could see her severe face clearly. 'And try to be more like King Carlos. Everyone is talking about you. About how you've changed.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWtQzsks17
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOxFWqijtp
'He was a thug, right?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTtUWroxib
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxm6FhzDqYz
'More of a sly creature, like a fox. Watching and waiting … then punishing. Never trusting anyone. You didn't know where you were with him. Not even me, who – forgive the lack of modesty – is the most important person in the kingdom. There was a time when I thought he was going to hang me for treason. Even though that would mean no sorcerer for our battles.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgcg0pAYeq
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZ9wNOCvAX
Having reached the large, double doors Carlena went silent and waited for me to lead her out. From just behind my right shoulder, she muttered directions as we walked down narrow cobbled streets until we came to a bakery.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5q8qRZza8
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZEwLOUM3h
'In there is a female baker who needs a large rat killed.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58he7Bj6o7
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjl6zZvLDav
I barged in, under the swinging sign of a loaf of bread. My bulky body made a small room feel even smaller: counter with several loaves; bare planks for floors; whitewashed walls; back room with an aroma of newly baked bread that made my mouth water.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iKQHIES0D
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzcCVPvW2r
A boy, about ten years old, was sweeping dust. His mouth dropped open. A thin woman behind the counter looked at me with pure horror, then said quietly, 'Miya bless me!'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZXvc9Ian9
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgyXea0c1M
'I believe you have a problem with a rat?'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0FXvzl9wA
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNfbCq1noZ
No one moved or spoke, until the boy dropped his brush and ran. Then the woman did the same.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8IEqCxhfL
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBeNLzlBOX
'Guards!' yelled Carlena. When two soldiers came running, she instructed them to bring the baker back.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaqWWIFLxU
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijqnjA1iMI
Feeling impatient, I tried to strum my thick fingers on the wooden counter top, but couldn't, they just thumped down in a group. My crappy Dexterity? Or simply lack of practice with this body?877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHODGYcIcM
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ykDbIu7E2
At last the guards returned, holding the woman between them. She was clearly terrified and I would have said something comforting, except that Carlena wanted me to stay in character.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLK6jkCucr
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwKO2jUQJS
'You have a task?' I asked.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpP63cxOFxO
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQmeKM9isY
'But…' she was looking at the floor. 'But… you've already done it.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx1ovaP4nI
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGBDRYusAb
I shot a glance of alarm at Carlena who remained perfectly impassive. No doubt for the benefit of the guards.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXo2gjsaohk
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtsZuE99rs
'Give it to me again.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSmK8ix64p
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkShHwwskiB
'I can't sire, I really can't. Please don't kill me, I have three children.'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAWv1jFGkA
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCClPkDwu9H
'Just try. Just say the words. I'm sure it will work. Go ahead!'877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2gZdPhRlf
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaPNTE5Wzl
But she couldn't. Her mouth opened and closed without a sound coming out. Tears ran down her face.877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQUfz4BXQO
877Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5cOraeEVQ
Exasperated and not wanting to cause the baker to suffer any further, I strode back outside, took a second to orientate myself, and set off back toward the keep. Levelling up was going to require a rethink.
and then Add to home screen.